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Noel Hynd

Goodreads author profile

born

December 12, 1952 in New York, The United States

gender

male

genre

Mystery & Thrillers, Literature & Fiction, Horror

member since

November 2008

About this author

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I've been a published novelist for longer than I care to admit, since 1976. I'm frequently asked, however, how I first got published. It's an interesting story and involved both Robert Ludlum and James Baldwin, even though neither of them knew it --- or me --- at the time.

My first agent, a wonderful thorughly perofessional gentleman named Robert Lantz was representing Mr. Baldwin at the time. This was around 1975. Balwin, while a brilliant writer, had had some nasty dealings with the head of Dell Publishing. Dell held Jimmy's contract at the time and he could not legally write for anyone else until he gave Dell a book that was due to them. Nonetheless, he refused to deliver a manuscript to Dell and went to Paris to sit things out.

The boo...more I've been a published novelist for longer than I care to admit, since 1976. I'm frequently asked, however, how I first got published. It's an interesting story and involved both Robert Ludlum and James Baldwin, even though neither of them knew it --- or me --- at the time.

My first agent, a wonderful thorughly perofessional gentleman named Robert Lantz was representing Mr. Baldwin at the time. This was around 1975. Balwin, while a brilliant writer, had had some nasty dealings with the head of Dell Publishing. Dell held Jimmy's contract at the time and he could not legally write for anyone else until he gave Dell a book that was due to them. Nonetheless, he refused to deliver a manuscript to Dell and went to Paris to sit things out.

The book was due to The Dial Press, which Dell owned. Baldwin was widely quoted as saying....and I'm cleaning up the quote here, "that he was no longer picking cotton on Dell's planatation."

The book was due to The Dial Press. The editor in chief of The Dial Press was a stellar editor who was making a name for himself and a fair bit of money for the company publishing thriller-author Robert Ludlum. A best seller every year will do that for an editor. Anyway, Baldwin fled New York for Paris. The editor followed, the asignment being to get him to come happily back to Dial. As soon as the editor arrived, Baldwin fled to Algeria. Or maybe Tunisia. It hardly mattered because Baldwin was furious and simply wouldn 't do a book for Dell/Dial. The editor returned to NY without his quarry. Things were at a standstill.

That's where I entered the story, unpublished at age 27 and knowing enough to keep my mouth shut while these things went down. I had given 124 pages of a first novel to Mr. Lantz ten days eariler. Miraculously, his reader liked it and then HE liked it. It was in the same genre that Ludlum wrote in and which the editor at Dial excelled at editing and marketing.

My agent and the editor ran into each other one afternoon in July of 1974 in one of those swank Manhattan places where people used to have three martinis for lunch. The agent asked how things had gone in Europe. The editor told him, knowing full well that the agent already knew. The next steps would be lawyers, Baldwin dragged into US Courts, major authors boycotting Doubleday/Dell, Dial, maybe some civil rights demonstrations and.......but no so fast.

Mr. Lantz offered Dial the first look at a new adventure/espionage novelist (me). IF Dial wanted me after reading my 124 pages, he could sign me, but only IF Baldwin was released from his obligations at Doubleday. I was the literary bribe, so to speak, that would get Jimmy free from Dial. It seemed like a great idea to everyone. It seemed that way because it was. Paperwork was prepapred and paperwork was signed. Voila!...To make a much longer story short, Dial accepted my novel. The editor instructed me on how to raise it to a professional level as I finished writing it over the next ten months. I followed orders perfectly. I even felt prosperous on my $7500 advance. He then had Dial release Mr. Balwin from his obligation. Not surpringly, he went on to create fine books for other publishers. Ludlum did even batter. Of the three, I'm the pauper but I've gotten my fair share and I'm alive with books coming out again now in the very near future, no small accmplishment. So no complaints from me.

That''s how I got published. I met Ludlum many times later on and Baldwin once. Ludlum liked my name "Noel" and used it for an then-upcoming charcter named Noel Holcroft. That amused me. I don't know if either of them even knew that my career had been in their orbits for a month 1975. They would have been amused. They were both smart gifted men and fine writers in dfferent ways. This story was told to me by one of the principals two years later and another one confirmed it.

Me, I came out of it with my first publishing contract, for a book titled 'Reve(less)

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Books by Noel Hynd

Average rating: 3.48 · 1402 ratings · 205 reviews · 25 distinct works

	Conspiracy in Kiev 332 avg rating — 389 ratings — published 2008 — 5 editions	My rating:
	Midnight in Madrid 328 avg rating — 306 ratings — published 2009 — 5 editions	My rating:
	Ghosts 381 avg rating — 186 ratings — 6 editions	My rating:
	Countdown in Cairo 370 avg rating — 105 ratings — published 2009 — 6 editions	My rating:
	A Room For The Dead 349 avg rating — 92 ratings — published 1994 — 4 editions	My rating:
	Cemetery Of Angels 359 avg rating — 68 ratings — published 1995 — 6 editions	My rating:
	Hostage in Havana (Cuban Trilogy, #1) 333 avg rating — 66 ratings — published 2011 — 5 editions	My rating:
	The Enemy Within 353 avg rating — 38 ratings — published 2006 — 7 editions	My rating:
	Flowers from Berlin 387 avg rating — 31 ratings — published 1985 — 7 editions	My rating:
	The Lost Boy 386 avg rating — 21 ratings — published 1999 — 2 editions	My rating:

More books by Noel Hynd…

Series by Noel Hynd

The Russian Trilogy (3 books)
by Noel Hynd (Goodreads Author)

335 avg rating — 800 ratings

The Cuban Trilogy (3 books)
by Noel Hynd (Goodreads Author)

335 avg rating — 69 ratings

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Noel's Writing

Conspiracy in Kiev (Mystery & Thrillers)

1 chapters — updated 29 nov. 14:02

Description: This is the first book of a trilogy of spy thrillers from Zondervan/HarperCollins.

Noel is Currently Reading

Noel Hynd gave

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Flowers from Berlin

by Noel Hynd (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

My rating:

04 jan. 01:26

Noel Hynd is currently reading:

Batman: Dark Victory

by Jeph Loeb

bookshelves: currently-reading

My rating:

04 jan. 13:25

Noel Hynd is currently reading:

First Stop in the New World: Mexico City, the Capital of the 21st Century

by David Lida

bookshelves: currently-reading

My rating:

Noel Hynd said: "Just received this as a gift. I'm looking forward to it. "

28 déc. 13:18 · see review

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Noel's Recent Updates

Noel Hynd is now friends with Luisa
27 avr. 14:30
Noel Hynd is now following Giovanni Gelati's reviews
07 oct. 17:50
Noel Hynd joined the Amazon Kindle and Kindleboards.com groups.
16 août 13:53 · see group
Noel Hynd gave to: Flowers from Berlin by Noel Hynd (Goodreads Author)	My rating:
04 jan. 01:26
Noel Hynd gave to: Brutes, Beasts and Human Fiends by Alan Hynd	My rating:
01 jan. 18:53
Noel Hynd voted on the list Best Horror Books by People Other Than Stephen King
15 avr. 23:39 · like · Noel's votes · everyone's votes · vote
Noel Hynd gave to: Countdown in Cairo by Noel Hynd (Goodreads Author)	My rating:
01 mar. 10:43
Noel Hynd recommended Midnight in Madrid to Andersen Prunty Midnight in Madrid by Noel Hynd (Goodreads Author)	My rating:
27 déc. 03:12 · like
Noel Hynd liked Linda B's review of Midnight in Madrid: " I get so excited when I find a great book by an author I have not read before! Noel Hynd’s book Midnight in Madrid, one of The Russian Trilogy, was so good I didn’t want the book to end. The book has political intrigue, non-stop action, historical... " Read more of this review »
21 déc. 00:23 · see review

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Caring Connection: Kay's 2010 Challenge	11	12	05 sept. 16:24
Challenge: 50 Books: Glenda's Books in 2011	3	6	19 juil. 18:56
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Around the World ...: Free and Cheap E-Books	151	205	29 mai 06:49

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Noel's Friend Comments

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Comments (showing 1-16) post a comment »

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newest »

message 16: by Derek

25 mai 13:30

Hello,

My new book The 9 Ghosts of Samen's Bane is available now at amazon.com. I hope you have a great holiday.

reply | flag *

message 15: by E.A.

19 jan. 06:44

Noel, great story about your beginnings. Thanks for the friendship

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message 14: by Saleh

09 jan. 20:23

Hi.What We Talk About When We Talk About Love?PLZ Answer The Question In My Profile.

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message 13: by Beth

01 jan. 14:23

Hi Noel,
Thanks for befriending this fellow mystery/suspense author and have a happy new year!

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message 12: by Linda

30 déc. 18:05

Hi Noel, thanks for being my friend =D

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message 11: by Ilyn

30 déc. 01:02

Hello Noel,

How are you? Thank you for being my friend. Congratulations and more Good Fortune on your books. Merry Christmas and a Prosperous 2009!

Please visit these groups when you have a chance: “Happy & Brainy Group” and “To the Glory of Man”. Have a marvelous holiday season. Warmest regards.

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message 10: by Dee

27 déc. 20:55

Hi Noel!
Thanks for the friendship!
Have a blessed one!

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message 9: by Bradley

23 déc. 13:25

Thank you for adding me as a friend! =)

http://www.cardshark.com/content/view...

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message 8: by Maria

20 déc. 22:43

Dear Noel,

It would be my honorto be as your friend.
Thanks for adding me.

Merry Christmas!

Cheeers,
Maria

P.S.: I will try the first book of yours, ASAP. It seems near to my taste.

reply | flag *

message 7: by Jeannie

19 déc. 14:04